The Effect of a Stress Reduction Program Using Mindfulness Techniques on Markers of Cellular Stress and Aging
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Enrollment
- 70
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Salivary telomere length
Study Overview
Brief Summary
The purpose of this research study is to examine whether a stress reduction intervention can improve health, mood and biological markers of cellular stress and aging in a group of chronically-stressed maternal caregivers and healthy maternal controls.
Detailed Description
This stress-reduction intervention was added into an ongoing observational study in May of 2013. The parent study is a prospective cohort study of the effects of chronic stress in a group of maternal caregivers with children on the autism spectrum and healthy controls whose children have no diagnosis. Study participants are being invited to enroll in a 12-week stress reduction course based on the principles of mindfulness. They will attend four six-hour workshops and participate in 12 weekly hour-long web video conferencing calls to reinforce what is taught in the workshops.
At the beginning and the end of the intervention, they complete self-report measures of psychological well-being and give saliva samples. Since the women are also participating in the longitudinal study, we have other before and after data for them. These include psycho-social measures, body measurements, psycho-physiology measurements, cognitive tests, actigraphy (for sleep), as well as saliva (for hormones), hair (for hormones) and blood (for telomeres, telomerase, gene expression, circulating hormones, inflammation and oxidative stress).
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Na
- Intervention Model
- Single Group
- Primary Purpose
- Basic Science
- Masking
- None
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 20 Years to 50 Years (Adult)
- Sex
- Female
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Must have at least one child between 2 and 16 at time of enrollment
- •Caregivers must have a child diagnosed in that age range diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
- •Controls must have a healthy child in that age range. All women must be
Exclusion Criteria
- •Chronic disease, including recent history of cancer
- •History of psychiatric disorder, such as bipolar disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder
- •Medications, including statins, anti-anxiety drugs, and for controls only anti-depressants.
Arms & Interventions
Stress-reduction class
Study participants enrolled in a 12-week stress reduction course based on the principles of mindfulness. They attended four six-hour workshops and participated in 12 weekly hour-long web video conferencing calls to reinforce what was taught in the workshops. We have two groups: chronically-stressed maternal caregivers of children on the autism spectrum and control mothers whose children have no significant psychiatric or physical impairment.
Intervention: Stress-reduction class (Behavioral)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Salivary telomere length
Time Frame: Change from beginning to end of 12-week intervention
Participants will give saliva samples at the beginning and the end of the intervention. Salivary telomere length will be analyzed at both time points.
Secondary Outcomes
- Telomere length from blood cells(Change over six months pre- and post-intervention)
- Psychological Well-Being(Change from beginning to end of 12-week intervention)
- Telomerase(Change over 6 months pre- and post-intervention)
- Cognitive functioning(Change over six months pre- and post-intervention)